Giving $500 a month with no strings attached? Fresno program rightly targets poverty | Opinion

A significant step in Fresno’s longstanding battle with poverty has just been taken, with participants of a new program set to receive monthly $500 payments for a year to help them pay for rent, food and other expenses.

The outreach is called Advancing Fresno County Guaranteed Income, and the application process opened last week. About 150 households with young children will get the payments via debit card each month, and the money can be spent however the participants choose.

That seems like it could be rife for abuse. But, time and again in guaranteed-income projects around the nation, results show that those benefiting use the money for living expenses, or get enough of a financial cushion to be able to go back to school and develop skills that lead to landing better jobs.

The goal is that participants are able to move themselves out of poverty. One in five people in Fresno County is at poverty level, according to Dr. Amber Crowell, associate professor of sociology and co-director of the Center for Community Voices at Fresno State.

“Fresno County has one of the highest rates of poverty in the state, with concentrated poverty in both its rural and urban communities,” she said in an email response to questions from The Bee Editorial Board.

To take part, applicants must live in either west Fresno’s 93706 zip code or Huron’s 93234 zip code. Adult participants must have at least one child under age 5, or be pregnant.

Applicants must also meet income standards. For west Fresno, participants can earn up to $30,615 annually or less; in Huron, the level is $35,103 or below. Both income levels reflect 80% of the median income for their zip codes. In other words, living at a poverty existence.

Fresno’s Economic Opportunities Commission is handling applications and will administer the program. Amanda Venegas of the EOC said applications in the first week were strong, particularly from west Fresno.

Credit local income advocates

Fresno’s leaders have known for years that a key to moving the city upward is improving the wage base of the area. To do that, Fresno must have a better educated workforce that attracts companies like technology firms.

Until that higher education level develops, government intervention and philanthropic efforts are needed to help people struggling in poverty. The Advancing Fresno County program makes use of donors. Just over $1 million was raised from a host of foundations, including the California Wellness Foundation.

Credit Crowell and fellow Fresno State instructor Andy Levine, who is also a Fresno Unified school board member, for working to make the guaranteed income project a reality. They acted with doggedness after the local application for a state guaranteed-income program was denied.

In fact, no San Joaquin Valley project got state funding. This new Fresno effort is only the second such income project to occur in the region, the first being a pilot launched in Stockton several years ago.

The Advancing Fresno County program is intriguing in how it has an urban component — west Fresno — and a rural one in Huron, a city of 7,000 on the county’s west side.

Crowell said Advancing Fresno County will have a control group, as well as focus groups, to measure the impact of the income aid.

“We are also going to have a storytelling cohort to develop narratives on poverty and anti-poverty measures,” she said. “Combined, this work will support advocacy and action to create a more effective and efficient social safety net locally and on a larger scale.”

The state’s denial of Fresno’s application for an income project should never have occurred, given the longstanding generational poverty of this region.

Thankfully, some committed local advocates did not give up, and now a Fresno-grown guaranteed-income program will benefit 150 households who need help. The assistance will certainly result in major benefit to those taking part, so here is hoping efforts can be expanded to benefit even more county residents in the future.

This story was originally published March 21, 2024 at 5:30 AM.